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Juan Carlos Turi Baeza and Jose Enrique Turi Baeza pleaded guilty to charges of cruelty to animals before Judge Jessica E. Brewbaker on Thursday, June 15, 2023, court records detail.
The men worked at Plainville Farms to capture and crate turkeys that were destined for food processing plants, state police previously explained.
The investigation launched in August 2021 came on the heels of a complaint filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. A PETA employee had "witnessed the actions of the turkey catchers," police said.
Corporal Michael Spada, animal cruelty officer in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Investigative Services Section, alleged that the men kicked, stomped, and beat turkeys at farms in Chester, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Perry, and Union counties.
"This was a lengthy, detailed investigation that involved reviewing a lot of evidence at multiple locations," said Spada. "I'd like to thank the outside agencies for their involvement and Plainville Farms for their cooperation."
Exactly 141 counts of cruelty to animals remain against the other 10 former Plainville workers, the largest number in any factory-farmed animal case in U.S. history, PETA announced following the Turi Baeza pleas.
Juan Carlos Turi Baeza also still has pending charges in Fulton County, court records show.
The remaining defendants are identified as:
- From McSherrystown: Bryce P. Washington, and Miguel Turi Cantellano.
- From Hanover: Jason K. Turner, and Bryiant O. Perez-Paez.
- Francisco M. Lebron-Cruz of Thomasville.
- Kevin L. Wagaman of Fayetteville.
- Mitchell E. Buckley of Aspers.
- Christopher S. McArdle of Gettysburg.
- Joseph Nunez Rosario of York.
The Turi Baezas "were each sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation and are prohibited from obtaining any employment that involves the care of animals during that time," PETA stated and court records confirmed.
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